Biography (E) - Encylopedia Of Antiques

EDGELL, SIMON (?-1742): A pewter-maker at Philadelphia, whose large hammered plate is considered to be the earliest dated piece of American pewter.

EDWARDS, ABRAHAM (1761-1840): Clock-maker, Ashby, Massachusetts, active from about 1792 until about 1820. He produced many tall clocks, at first with his brother Calvin (1763-1796), and after his death worked alone. While the brothers worked together each clock was numbered, totaling about 600. Abraham discontinued numbering them afterwards. The earlier clocks had wooden works but these were soon succeeded by clocks with brass works. Abraham's son John also made a few clocks, inscribed with his name.

EDWARDS, JOHN (1670-1746): Silversmith. Born in England and served his apprenticeship in London, after which he came to Boston, where he became a partner of John Allen (1671-1760) and one of the most flourishing of the Boston silversmiths. He was also prominent in civic affairs, holding many public offices. His son Thomas (1701-1755) was also a silversmith.

EGERTON, MATTHEW (1739-1802): Cabinet-maker of New Brunswick, New Jersey, made clock cases, secretaries, bureaus, tables, bedsteads and chests. He is not known to have made chairs. His style, favoring Hepplewhite, and workmanship were excellent, as were, too, the work of his son Matthew, Jr., who followed his father's trade. The work of both is very similar in character and quality.

ELERS, JOHN PHILIP and DAVID: Two Dutch potter brothers who went to England at the time of William III and established a pottery at Bradwell in Staffordshire, and through their improved methods advanced the standards of Staffordshire wares. The black and red teapots made by Elers, unglazed, with ornaments in Chinese style added in relief were particularly noteworthy. Although the Elers brothers left Staffordshire in 1710 and were afterwards connected with the manufacture of glassware and porcelain in Chelsea, Elersware (q.v. PART 2) continued to be copied and imitated long afterwards. It was superior to anything before produced in Staffordshire.

ELFE, THOMAS (1732-1775): Cabinet-maker of Charleston, South Carolina. He made furniture of every description for the best families of Charleston. The greater part of his production was in mahogany, which was in common use at the time not only for furniture, but for doors, newel posts and banisters, and for paneling rooms and other interior work.

ELLICOTT, JOSEPH (1732-1780): Clock-maker, Philadelphia. In 1769 he made his famous musical clock which includes a planetarium where the planets move in their respective orbits. There is no other clock like it in this country or abroad. The case is of mahogany, and there are glazed doors on each of the four sides of the hood, one for the regular clock dial, one for the planetarium dial, one for the list of twentyfour music-box tunes, and one at the rear exposing the working mechanism of the clock. It is today in good running order. Mr. Ellicott was a member of the American Philosophical Society.

ELLIOT, CHARLES: English cabinet-maker in London of the time of Chippendale.

ELLIOT, JOHN (1713-1791): A Quaker cabinet-maker of Philadelphia, born in Bolton, England, who came to America in 1753. At the outbreak of the Revolutionary War he retired from business.

ELLIOT, JOHN JR. (?-1810): Son of the foregoing and who carried on the cabinet-making trade until his death. Both made and repaired mirrors, and several of these have been found with their label attached.

EVANS, DAVID (?-1814): Philadelphia cabinet-maker. His three books of accounts running from 1774 to 1811, preserved by the Historical Society of Pennsylvania, indicate that he made a great variety of furniture. They also give the prices charged and the names of patrons for whom he worked.